Soccor Velho

Soccor Velho (27 July 1983 – 22 June 2013) was an Indian footballer who last played for Air India in the I-League. He previously played for Cabral, Golden Gunners and Central Railway.

Soccor Velho
Velho pictured in 2011
Personal information
Date of birth (1983-07-27)27 July 1983
Place of birth Goa, India
Date of death 22 June 2013(2013-06-22) (aged 29)
Place of death Margao, Goa, India
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Cabral SC
2005–2006 Golden Gunners
2006 → Air India (loan) (0)
2006–2007 Central Railway
2007–2013 Air India
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Life and career

Velho was born in Goa,[1] where he played football for Cabral before joining Golden Gunners of the Mumbai District Football Association's Elite Division in 2005.[2] Described in the Hindustan Times as "the potent firepower in Golden Gunners arsenal",[3] Velho scored seven of Gunners' twelve goals as they finished in fourth place and qualified for the championship stage,[4] but was not afraid to admit he needed to work on his finishing.[2][5] He represented Maharashtra in the 2005–06 Santosh Trophy, scored four goals as his team progressed through the group stages,[6] and flicked on Rauf Khan's corner to open the scoring in the final, albeit in a losing cause as Goa won 3–1 after extra time.[7] Rated by Daily News and Analysis as one of the "finds of the tournament",[8] he was named among the "probables" by the All India Football Federation for the 2005 SAFF Cup[9] but did not play.

He signed on loan for Air India in January 2006.[10] He made several appearances in the National Football League, without scoring,[6] though he had a "goal" against Mahindra United disallowed for handball.[11] Coach Bimal Ghosh attributed his goal drought to inexperience and needing "a bit of luck".[12]

In the latter part of 2006, he returned to regional competition with Central Railway, contributing to their second-place finish in the Mumbai Elite Division and scoring once as they finished fourth in the championship round.[13] He scored just twice in the Elite Division as Central Railway finished in fourth place in 2007.[14] In July, Velho scored a hat-trick as Central Railway beat Air India's under-19 team 7–1 in the quarter-final of the Nadkarni Cup;[15] in the final, he opened the scoring as Central Railway beat ONGC 3–1.[16]

Velho signed for Air India ahead of the 2008–09 I-League season,[17] and made his debut on the opening day of the season, in a 1–1 draw away to Mohammedan Sporting.[18] He scored his first I-League goal on the second matchday, away to Mohun Bagan; just before half-time, Napoleon Singh's free kick was poorly cleared and Velho, playing as an attacking midfielder, was first to react.[19] After the next game, Air India's first win of the season, coach Ghosh commented favourably on the pace and positioning of both Velho and goalscorer Surojit Roy, particularly on the counter-attack.[20] Velho scored once more during the season, in a 2–0 win against Mumbai FC in November.[21] He sustained a facial injury in an incident in January 2009 in which Mohammedan Sporting's Madhab Das was sent off; according to Goal.com's Rahul Bali in March, "[he hadn't] been at his best ever since".[22] Air India avoided relegation by just two points.[21]

Under Velho's captaincy,[23] Air India finished one point nearer relegation in 2009–10.[24] He scored the opening goal in the IFA Shield semifinal, only for his club to be eliminated by Churchill Brothers on penalties.[25]

Death

On 22 June 2013 Velho participated in a friendly match between Margao XI and the India U19 team in Goa.[26] Velho played for Margao in that match and lasted the whole 90 minutes.[26] After the match Velho went home. According to the Salgaocar youth team coach, Joaquim Crasto, Soccor was completely fine after the game and went home normally.[26] After he arrived home, according to Dempo forward Joy Ferrao, Velho had dinner and a shower but then complained of feeling uneasy before having a heart attack.[26] He died on his way to the hospital; he was 29.[26]

Velho was survived by his wife and young daughter.[26]

References
  1. "S. Velho". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  2. Pandey, Ankita (5 October 2005). "Soccor's strike helps Gunners draw level". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  3. "MDFA Leagues – Velho fires blanks as Gunners drop points". Hindustan Times. 24 October 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  4. Chaudhuri, Arunava (31 January 2008). "India 2005 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  5. Mohapatra, Bikash (25 October 2005). "Drama aplenty, goals scanty". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  6. Chaudhuri, Arunava (9 January 2007). "India 2005/06: Santosh Trophy". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  7. Basu, Saumyajit (25 November 2005). "Goa walk extra mile for title". Times of India. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  8. Pandey, Ankita (3 December 2005). "A rewarding end for a fruitful season". Daily News and Analysis. Mumbai. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  9. "Bhutia among probables". Deccan Herald. 19 November 2005. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  10. "Air-India sign Musah & Soccor Velho". IndianFootball.com. 9 January 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  11. D'Souza, Stanislaus (7 April 2006). "AI stun Mahindra, again". Times of India. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  12. "Air-India 1:1 East Bengal Club". IndianFootball.com. 23 April 2006. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  13. Chaudhuri, Arunava (31 January 2008). "India 2006 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  14. Chaudhuri, Arunava (18 September 2008). "India 2007 Regional Championships: Mumbai". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  15. Ghosh, Abhishek (20 July 2007). "Central Railway run over Air India boys". Daily News and Analysis. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  16. Chaudhuri, Arunava (2007). "Nadkarni Cup 2007". IndianFootball.com. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  17. "Season ending transfers 2008". IndianFootball.com. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  18. "Mohammedan hold Air India 1–1 in ONGC I-League". Zee News. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  19. "Bagan holds Air India". The Hindu. Chennai. 4 October 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  20. Pawar, Vaibhav (13 October 2008). "Roy of hope". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  21. Chaudhuri, Arunava (24 September 2009). "India 2008/09". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  22. "Gray is the silver lining for Md. Sp". The Telegraph. Kolkata. 26 January 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
    Bali, Rahul (7 March 2009). "I-League Preview: JCT–Air India". Goal.com. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  23. Mandrekar, Kabir (8 October 2009). "Pune FC on a roll, Air India wary". Indian Express. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
    "Churchill beats Air India". The Hindu. Chennai. 2 November 2009. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  24. Chaudhuri, Arunava (18 October 2012). "India 2009/10". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  25. Verma, Garima (8 September 2009). "IFA Shield: Churchill in finals". Fox Sports Asia. Retrieved 26 February 2013.
  26. Bali, Rahul. "Soccor Velho dies of cardiac arrest". Goal.com. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
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